After Scott's unnecessary tirade of how he should deal with Rogue, Logan decided to retreat to the hangar while everyone else reviewed the details of Chuck's recent Cerebro update. He was still annoyed that Scott (and everyone else) knew there was not only conflict, but a particular change in his friendship with Marie. It felt like they were stars in a movie and they were watching in anticipation, What's next, What's next!?

The Blackbird wasn't ready yet, and feeling idle, Logan decided to go for a beer, when a leather-clad buxom beauty caught his eye. Out of the blue, he realized people could just go fuck themselves because he didn't really care what they thought. This place was seriously starting to rub off on him, making him care and shit. What he was interested, however, was Rogue. Sure, she frustrated the hell outta him, but he wanted to see her again. Touch her. All that leather… his mind wandered. Eyes up, boy.

Rogue was pulling on her gloves, singing softly while she had some earphones stuck in her ears. It was only natural that she squealed loudly when he gave that alluring swell of her ass a light squeeze. "What the fuck!" she yelled, and jumped around to face her offender. A deep flush on her face, her eyes flaring, she was obviously surprised to see him. "Logan!?"

Logan showed her his palms in surrender. "Nice to see you too, darlin'." He tried to keep himself from laughing at how angry and shy she looked at the same time. His hearing gave him the heads-up that the X-Men were approaching, but not for a few minutes. "Glad you're comin' with us."

"You're polite for a pervert," Rogue remarked, smoothing her butt where he pinched her. She was also clearly ignoring his efforts to be cute.

"I try," Logan said with a grin. "But you can say it's payback." The excitement got the best of him when she blushed even deeper. Her heart sped up, but she took a deep breath and reverted back to being nonchalantly pissed off at him. Shit. "Kid, Marie…" Stupid fuck, calling her 'kid' again! Rewind! As expected, she glowered at him and all he could do was scratch the back of his neck. "Sorry. It's out of habit and…"

"I know," Rogue said, shaking her head. She let out a deep breath again. "It's not that." Nibbling on her lower lip, Logan wanted to ask if she could do the same to his. "I don't want to talk about it, Logan. Not yet."

The lake. The embrace. Being naked and liking it. Aroused. Sexual tension. Logan gave her whole body a slow sweep with his eyes. From the tight ponytail with the ivory locks framing her pretty face, those ferocious eyes, her cute nose, sensual lips, the beginning of a mouth-watering cleavage in the V of her leather suit, the evident flare of her hips, down to her boots. Was it really difficult to see her as a woman, so fuckin' sexy and gorgeous? Nah. Easy as pie. "Y'know me, Marie. Not much for talkin' either."

Rogue nodded, and she was about to turn away, but Logan trapped her in his arms and just as she scowled up at him, he planted one on her.

Not a sissy, Logan knew fireworks were out of the picture. So it had to be missiles. Atomic explosions. Land mines and bombs. Mushroom clouds and molten lava. Fine, maybe he was exaggerating because she just gaped at him while he raped her mouth, but the heat he felt was unmistakable. But he felt it again, that spark of arousal emanating from her, making him suck harder on her lips, and as he licked her tongue again –he felt himself shoved a couple of meters away from her.

Stupefied from their first kiss, Logan's hazel eyes only widened when she zoomed back in front of him, pulled his leather collar upwards to get him up on his feet. Boy, was she pissed. Her chest was heaving with tension and she looked like she was ready to decapitate him.

Maybe she didn't feel the same way?

Logan cleared his throat in discomfort, partly because of arousal. Damn she's hot when she's mad. Her lips were swollen too, he noticed. Fuck. She tasted sweet. Maybe this transition wasn't going to be hard as he thought.

"I'm not Jean, Logan, or like any of those other women you've had in your life," Rogue said through clenched teeth. "I made a slip last night in your room and I didn't mean to. Do you want me to say sorry, is that it? Or a repeat performance?" She looked like she was either going to cry or explode. "Do you think it was easy, saying that I," she choked. "That I don't need you?"

Aw, fuck. "No, god dammit, Marie–"

"Sexing me up isn't just going to do it, OK!?" Rogue screamed. "God knows we could screw each other's brains out, but that's not what I'm after. I'm not fucking around with you. I'm not a slut. I'm not going to open my legs for you just because you think it's hot."

Sense and shame effectively softened Logan's engorged dick. "That's not what–"

"You're taking the easy way out of this, bucko." Rogue pushed him away and set her feet back on the floor. She sighed. "After we have sex, then what? You're gonna feel so guilty then run away?" Groaning, she shook her head again. "So much for not talking, huh? You horndog." After giving him a disappointed look, she turned her back to him and boarded the plane.

Just in time, the other X-Men entered the hangar.

Logan went mechanical after that, following obediently when Scott ordered him to get his ass in the plane. There was an empty seat beside Rogue, and it seemed like Iceman was ready to take it, but Logan pushed Colossus into taking the spot. Taking the seat across her, Logan couldn't help but sneer at Bobby, "I'd rather sit beside you than look at your face." The young mutant glared at him, ready to snap back, but kept his mouth shut nonetheless.

Damn. Wolverine growled. You have the worst timing.

I tried and look where it got me?

That's the problem, you idiot –you tried. You're still undecided about this.

Looking at Marie, Logan sighed. She was still infuriated, but she looked genuinely gloomy. Clearly, she shared Wolverine's sentiment. Hell, he was even upset with himself.

That was one helluva kiss though, wasn't it?

Next time, bub. Wolverine gave him a tap on the back. You'll do better. Don't fucking mess it up.

I'll try. I swear I'll try.

You don't try, motherfucker. You do your best.

Before the kiss, Rogue had been trying her best to distract herself from the awkwardness that would happen between them. Sure, she didn't expect him to pay attention to her booty and it irritated her, but hey –he was still Logan. He was an impulsive, sex on legs, man. He had good intentions, but his executions sucked. Not that she didn't enjoy their lip-lock, because she did, she did! It's not that she was a choosy beggar, but it felt so weirdlyforced. Strange, almost.

Rogue could have taken the easy way out, kissed him back, had a quickie by the Blackbird. It would have been so sexy, so hot, but she couldn't let herself do it. They were a mess now, but she knew that what she had with Logan was special. However, though she had forever with him, rushing would result in sheer catastrophe. All things rushed end up in the trash.

What the hell was Logan thinking anyway, kissing her like that? She knew they weren't on the same boat yet. His 'trying' was definitely appreciated, especially last night, but getting all physical wasn't going to get them anywhere –at least, not the place she hoped for the two of them. They needed to take their time; they needed to figure things out the right way if they were going to make this last. Forever was a long time, and she didn't want to start on the wrong foot.

Rogue stuck her tongue out at Scott when he glanced at her for what felt like the nth time –you'd think he would have better sense, co-piloting the plane. Of course he knew what was going on even though they didn't talk about it. She tried ignoring Logan though, as pitiful as he looked as he wallowed in awkward guilt. Serves him right.

But then again, he didn't look that guilty –because who were they kidding? She enjoyed that kiss as much as he did. And she knew they would have so much more, but not today, no.

Nobody told her it would be easy, waiting for him, be he really made it so hard. Figures, he wasn't the regular hard-headed mutant.

Soon, Rogue hoped. Maybe things would be better soon.

The new 'besties' Scott and Rogue were normally exasperating. Having to watch the two of them interact in the small confines of the plane was another feat. Scott kept sending Rogue these concerned glances, and she halted his interest when she stuck her cute, deep pink tongue at him.

Fuck, that tongue. Logan hastily thought of something else other than specific parts of her body. He still felt a bit jittery, not just because of their kiss, but he felt as if they entered a whole new level in their, ah… relationship. They were capable of intimacy, and it made him all kinds of edgy, because it felt so right.

After half an hour, when the Blackbird landed, Cyclops in leader mode told the rest of the team to get ready. The man pulled another one on him by teaming him up with Rogue. He kept his annoyed face on, but deep inside, he felt rather eager to work with her. Scooter reminded them what they should do again, which Logan interpreted as 'tear the fucking lab down and get Jimmy the fuck out'.

Before everyone hopped off the plane, Scott called his attention, "Logan. Stay outside. Do you understand?"

"I can take care of myself, damn it," Logan snarled and headed out. I'm not a fuckin' pansy, he gnarled to himself, dashing towards the laboratory guised as an abandoned building. His senses alerted him that Rogue was hovering low behind him. He was a bit thankful that she could fly. Both of them were in charge of making sure that the perimeter was secure before the team went in. He easily took down a couple of guards before they even found out he was there. Rogue let him do all the work, and he was relieved that she didn't need to dirty her hands with pieces of shit. He heard her message Scott to start moving.

After just five minutes, Rogue tapped Logan's shoulder. "Do you want to go rogue?"

"Why?" Logan frowned at her when he saw how bored she look and the undeniable mischief dancing in her eyes. "What do you wanna do?"

"I don't know why they didn't plan it out, but I want to take out surveillance. What do you say?"

At least she's taking to me. Might as well agree. "The cameras? But–" Logan stopped talking when she put a finger on her lips. She leaned closer against the wall and he nodded. They were actually on the other side of the wall where the stakeout room was based.

Rogue appeared to be listening intently. "The team is up front, busting in. We're going to make things easier by doing this. Ready?"

What? Ready for what? "What do you plan–"

Rogue giggled, flew away from the wall. Just as he was about to ask her where she was going, she lunged towards the wall and broke it down with her clenched fist. Safe to say he was still surprised she could pack a punch like that, and it seems even the people inside were still gaping at the sudden intrusion... and the human-sized orifice on the wall.

"GET THEM!" one of the soldiers eventually shouted, and it made the two mutants tick. Easily enough, Logan started wrecking the place while Rogue hacked the controls.

"I knew it," Rogue said, checking the cameras. "We don't need Kitty. Why phase when you can break through walls, right?"

When the last soldier fell down with a BLAG, Logan casually stood behind her and chuckled. "You're still bitter about the midget, babe?"

"We're into pet names now, sugar?"

Sugar. That sounded right in his ears, but Logan didn't show it, just raised a brow. He was about to flirt back when she gasped, pointing at one of the monitors. A group of soldiers were readying for assault.

"I've got a feeling those are cure shots. Stay here."

Logan didn't even have time to process what she said. The next thing he knew, she was clobbering through the walls again, the consecutive loud, forceful bangs effectively surprising the soldiers, and finally toppled them down in debris along the way. Her excellent use of strength irrefutably surprised even the X-Men as well, as he heard Scott yell, "WHAT THE FUCK, ROGUE!?"

"What?" he heard Rogue ask innocently.

Logan climbed out of the smashed walls. His teammates were still talking. Everyone was surprised of Rogue's strength and flight. He heard them walk along the hallways, and just as Colossus bellowed, "I found Jimmy!"

Rogue's scream pierced the air.

"ROGUE!"

"MARIE!"